Tiger FB star finds great fit for next place to rebuild, shine

Caruthersville High School senior athlete Jermonte Alexander speeds through the Hayti High School defense this past season.

Tom Davis ~ TDavis@semoball.com

The Culver-Stockton College football program recently watched Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division All-Conference running back Demarion Cobb wrap up his athletic career, and the Wildcat coaching staff has an idea for what they want to do with their run game moving forward.

Caruthersville High School senior Jermonte Alexander visited, and committed, to Culver-Stockton over this past weekend.

“Jermonte is a kid who can play in the slot, running back, wide receiver, defensive back,” third-year Tiger coach Dom Guglielmo said. “He can really do it all.”

Alexander did just that with Caruthersville over the past four seasons, as he helped the program improve from two wins as a freshman to a 10-2 mark this past fall.

“He can do it all at a really high level,” Guglielmo continued.

Alexander was a finalist for the coveted Carr Trophy this fall after rushing for 1,400 yards, catching passes for nearly 500 yards, scoring 26 touchdowns, making 70 defensive stops, deflecting 15 passes, and intercepting 11 throws. Of the latter category, three were returned for scores.

“Before the days of the (college) transfer portal and (NCAA) Division I programs cutting their rosters,” Guglielmo said, “I think he is a legitimate FCS-type of kid.

“He’ll go to Culver-Stockton and be really successful playing whatever position they choose for him.”

Caruthersville High School senior defender Jermonte Alexander makes a stop against Hayti High School this past season at Hayti. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Guglielmo said that Alexander “was signed as a running back.”

“They like his speed and size,” Guglielmo said. “They like his burst (of speed). He has played wide receiver. He could be a threat out of the backfield.”

The top two Wildcat running backs split carries this past season, and Cobb will graduate while Nicholas Jarrett will be a junior in the fall of 2025. The two of them caught a combined 12 passes last season, as the Wildcat program tries to rebuild from a pair of unsuccessful seasons.

In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Culver-Stockton, which is where Charleston High School football coach Justin Hutchings played his college ball, won 13 games and veteran Wildcat coach Tom Sallay was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division Coach of the Year in 2021.

Following that season, Culver-Stockton offensive lineman Andrew Rupcich was the lone NAIA player to participate in the 2022 NFL Combine and signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans. He is currently on the Reserve/Injured List for Tennessee this season.

Culver-Stockton has labored to just four wins over the past two seasons, so Alexander will find himself in a familiar position of having to provide leadership and maturity in an emerging program, just as he did in Caruthersville.

“Culver-Stockton is getting a kid who cares about ‘We over Me,’” Guglielmo said of Alexander. “Jermonte cares about the people around him more than he does about his stats.

“They got a kid who is honest. Once he gets in the building, they will see that he has a natural leadership ability about him. They have a kid who truly cares about the process (of improving). He truly cares about the gamesmanship. He is going to go in there and add to the value of the football program. They got one of the top football players in Missouri.”